Speech recognition system for Home automation.

[Soren <soren.skou.nielsen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I'm looking at possibilities of constructing a relatively cheap home
speech recognition system to turn appliances on and off. As i see it I
have several options:

- Use a computer:   Pros: Good Software is easy to get, Probably the
fastest way to get a system. Devices could be run from the serial/
parallel port.
                             Cons: Expensive solution for such a
"simple task". Computer must be dedicated and run all the time = high
power consumption = expensive.

- Build a system from speech recognition IC's or Microcontrollers:
                            Pros: Components are relatively cheap, Low
power consumption, Good recognition rate
                            Cons: Components are often SMD's (haven't
found any that are not) which means specialized equipment is to be
used. Demo/development boards costs too much to justify its use. Maybe
long development time.

- Buy Specialized solution:
                            Pros: Plug'n'play
                            Cons: Extremely expensive, removes the fun
of DIY :)

What I really need is a robust recognition system that works with
microphones not placed directly in front of the speaker.. like in the
corner of the living room.

Does anyone here know of such a system, or tried to develop one? It
only needs to recognize 5-10 words. It's really a "toy" project.

Thanks,
Soren